In order to socialize more, our applications department decided to have a get together at a diner. The place chosen was Seabra’s Rodizio. For all who don’t know what a rodizio is(I didn’t know either), it is a Brazilian or Portuguese style restaurant where severs keep on bringing food for the customers till they signal that they have had enough. Sounds appetizing but the only and the biggest problem is that the food is just various kinds of meats that are served right off the cooking skewer, and are sliced or plated right at the table.

I am a vegetarian sadly. But despite formally being rendered as an extra chair at the table I did gather some hope and read the menu. I finally decided on the rice and salad which looked promising since it had some peas and carrots in it. Two pitchers of Sangria were ordered that made up for the drinks. And then it all started.

Beef, Pork, Chicken, turkey ,duck, bugs bunny, tom, jerry, and all those lovable cartoon characters made their appearance posthumously to find their final resting place among the innards of the hungry men. I swear the Americans tear into meat as Sehwag tears into bowling attacks. They kept on eating for ten hours while I filled myself with Sangria, kidney beans, chick peas, lettuce, coleslaw and more Sangria. By the time my rice arrived in a bowl the size of a scooter tire, I was too drunk to react. But one bite into it and I knew it was one of those nights when I would have to go to bed on an empty stomach. It was so bland, that at first I was convinced I must have lost sensation in my tongue but when that wasn’t the case, I had to literally pepper it with pepper to add a semblance of taste.

But wasn’t this an occasion to socialize. Well as soon as the food was on the table, good old meaningful conversation took a back seat and the only sounds were of cutlery, chomping, gulping and muffled praises of how juicy the meat was. It reminded me of UP politicians where whenever a bill is tabled, there is no discussion, only fist fights, screaming and blame games. This didn’t have quite the drama but was unappetizing nevertheless.